Library Programs

The Hamilton County SWCD provides library programs free of charge to any branch within Hamilton County. Our library programs are often developed around a book, include a craft or hands-on activity and can be adapted for a variety of audiences. Let’s have fun learning at the library!

Programs are:

Free to any Hamilton County library

30-60 minutes long

Often book-based

Interactive and hands-on!

Age ranges are just recommendations. Older or younger kids may participate.

Libraries that do not consistently have 10 or more participants will be asked to pre-register participants.

A Frog'sLife (Cycle)!How do frogs grow from a tadpole to an adult, and what do they do along the way? Students will learn all about the fabulous world of frogs through an engaging story time. Afterwards they will create their own life cycle craft, recall things they learned and talk about how our actions affect frogs and other things living in the water.Ages 8 - 12

Amazing Monarchs They’re small but mighty! Monarch butterflies are amazing creatures that scientists still don't understand completely. Students will learn about the Monarch's amazing migration and unique metamorphosis then create their own Monarch life cycle made from pasta and paint. Ages 8 - 12

Be Water Wise As they learn about drinking water resources, students will purify a contaminated sample of water to drink. Students will attempt to create their own filter with supplied materials and test its effectiveness. Students will explore water usage in the United States and steps we can take to conserve water. Thanks to Procter & Gamble, for their generous gift of the P&G water filtration packets. Ages 8 - 14

"Bob and Otto" Through the friendship between Bob the caterpillar and Otto the worm, children will observe the very distinct roles of each organism in the world around them. Children will see that all living beings play a special part in their ecosystem and realize they are all interdependent. Afterwards each child gets to decorate their own cocoon and is given a butterfly to take home. Ages 4 - 7

Cookie Mining Students use a cookie and "mine" chocolate chips to represent natural resources, making and losing money based on the amount of resources recovered and the amount of land destroyed. The students will learn the value of natural resources and explore the concept of renewable resources. **Please note: Food will be distributed that may cause allergic reactions in some participants. Ages 8 - 14

Edible Soil In this learning activity, participants will get an introduction into the composition, layers and life forms in our soil. They will then get to use pudding, sprinkles, cookies and chocolate chips to learn about what soil is made from and how important it is to our everyday life. **Please note: Food will be distributed that may cause allergic reactions in some participants. Ages 4 - 14

Fashion a FishHow do fish protect themselves against predators? We’ll talk about the wide array of adaptations that different animals take on. Then children will have the chance to create their own fish species and environment using lots of fun craft supplies. Ages 5-12​Fossils 101Participants will talk about the creation of fossils and get to know the unique history of Cincinnati during the Ordovician Period. Using fossils gathered locally, the group will identify some dominant fossils of Ohio, discussing some that are similar to present-day organisms. Everyone will get the opportunity to make their own fossil cast using playdoh and plaster-of-Paris and be able to take home their own fossils. Ages 8 - 14

Mud PaintingWhat kid doesn't love mud? This story celebrates the joys of mud and teaches children the importance of dirt. After reading about the animals that live in the soil and how dirt made their dinner, the children have their own chance to explore when they create "mud finger paintings". Ages 4 - 7

Pumpkin Harvest ​Students will trace the life cycle of a pumpkin. They will follow a pumpkin seed from germination to jack-o-lantern and eventually back to seed again. After reading about p﻿umpkins, the children will be given supplies to create their own paper jack-o-lantern to take home.Ages 4 - 7

"The Curious Garden"Follow a boy named Liam as he changes a gray city scene to a lush garden world, inspiring the people around him along the way. Children will discover all that a plant needs to survive and learn that they aren’t too small to make a change. This story shows how humans impact the environment. Afterwards, they will have the opportunity to plant the seed that could start their own garden! Ages 4 - 10

"The Lorax" In this Dr. Seuss book, children learn what happens when The Onceler’s greed takes too much from the forest of the beautiful Truffula Trees, affecting everything that depends on them. This environmental story is interactive and illustrates the interdependence of life and consequences of our behavior. Children enter into a Dr. Seuss tent with life-sized scenery and help to hang up characters and images from the story as it is being read. A crowd favorite! *10x 10 space needed for tent.* Ages 4 - 7

Wiggly Worms Students will discover the world of worms with the story “Tunneling Earthworms”; they will learn what they eat, how they survive, and what environment they live in. A worm bin will be brought into the classroom for kids to have a hands-on experience with worms and soil and investigate why the underground world is so important to us. Ages 4 - 14

Ready to Schedule?

- Grab your calendar

- Click on 'Book Gwen' or 'Book Sara'

- Click 'Next' for Time Zone.

- Select a Duration. This is the total time we will be at your school. For example, if we're presenting four 45 minute classes the total duration will be 3 hours.

- Select a date and start time.

- Complete the form.

- Consider yourself scheduled. We will contact you within 2 working days if there is a problem. - Confused? Call us.